Combustion chamber locating and securing attachment

ABSTRACT

An attachment for locating and securing a combustion chamber in a heat exchanger which insures alignment of the inlet port of the combustion chamber with the burner port of the heat exchanger. Securement of the chamber is affected by lugs mounted on the external portion of the combustion chamber. The lugs are securable by clamps to predetermined locating embosses in the base of heat exchanger. A locating boss on the periphery of the heat exchanger base is receivable in a notched portion of the external wall of the heat exchanger and provides alignment of the burner port with the inlet port of the combustion chamber.

United States Patent Primary Examiner-Charles .l. Myhre Attorney-Molinare, Allegretti, Newitt & Witcoff ABSTRACT: An attachment for locating and securing a combustion chamber in a heat exchanger which insures alignment of the inlet port of the combustion chamber with the burner port of the heat exchanger. Securement of the chamber is affected by lugs mounted on the external portion of the combustion chamber. The lugs are securable by clamps to predetermined locating embosses in the base of heat exchanger. A locating boss on the periphery of the heat exchanger base is receivable in a notched portion of the external wall of the heat exchanger and provides alignment of the burner port with the inlet port of the combustion chamber.

PATENTED m2 6 ml INVENTOR. GEORGE E. PA Y I ATTORNE YS COMBUSTION CHAMBER LOCATING AND SECURING ATTACHMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to a device for rigidly positioning a combustion chamber inside a heat exchanger. Common heat exchangers of the past utilized a combustion chamber having a cross-sectional area just slightly less than the cross-sectional area of the outside heat exchanger wall. In such devices the combustion chamber fits snugly against the inside portion of the heat exchanger wall.

Apparatus for securing this type of combustion chamber to the heat exchanger were several. For example, pointed metal tabs welded to the base of a heat exchanger were used for impaling the bottom of the combustion chamber. These tabs pierced the chamber wall and were bent over on the inside of the chamber to secure it. In an alternative apparatus, metal strips were welded to the top of the chamber and pressed down over the upper end of the chamber.

In applicants invention, the cross-sectional area of the combustion chamber is substantially less than that of the heat exchanger wall. In a preferred embodiment, the combustion chamber is constructed of ceramicfiber with the outside heat exchanger constructed of metal having good heat conductivity properties.

The principles employed in applicant-s invention do not require the combustion chamber wall to abut the heat exchanger wall. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an apparatus for securing and locating the combustion chamber on the base of the heat exchanger. It is also desirable to provide means which will align the inlet port of the combustion chamber with the burner port of the heat exchanger precisely and exactly. Furthermore, it is desirable to provide a device which will be inexpensive and easy to manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a principal aspect, the present invention is an improvement in a heat exchanger having a base, an external wall extending from the base, a burner port in the external wall for receiving a burner means and a combustion chamber within the external wall fixed in place on the heat exchanger base having an inlet port also for receiving the burner means, of integral lugs extending from the combustion chamber and means attached to the base for fixing and holding the lugs in position to thereby maintain the combustion chamber in the fixed position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of the heatexchanger cutaway to expose the combustion chamber;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the combustion chamber and heat exchanger taken substantially along the line 2-2 FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the combustion chamber mounted on the heat exchanger base;

FIG. 4 is a perspective exploded 'view of the means for securing the combustion chamber to the heat exchanger base.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The heat exchanger 8 shown in FIG. 1 consists of a circular base 10 and a cylindrically shaped wall 12 which is secured during the manufacturing process to the outer periphery of the base 10. A hollow, cylindrical heat exchanger element 14, concentric with the wall 12, is secured in fixed spacial relation to the wall 12 by a duct 16. Duct 16 connects element 14 with the combustion chamber cavity of the heat exchanger as defined by the upper portion of the wall 12. Exhaust materials may this be channeled through a duct 16 and the element 14 to a chimney duct 17.

A service port 18 is positioned in the wall 12 intermediate element 14 and the base 10. A burner port 20 for receiving burner means (not shown) is positioned in the lower end of the wall I2 intennediate the service port 18 and the base 10.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a combustion chamber 22 is defined by connected walls 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36. As illustrated by the cross-sectional view, FIG. 2, walls 31 and 33 define an arc, wall 32 defines a segment of'a circle having the same radius as the circle defined by the arcs of walls 31 and 33, and walls 34, 35 and 36 define chords of arcs. The rear wall 32 includes a surface 37 at the top parallel to the bottom of the combustion chamber 22. Surface 37 deflects a combusting mixture provided by a burner into the combustion chamber. As in FIG. 3 an inlet port 28 for receiving burner means (not shown) extending through the burner port 20 of the heating element wall 12 is provided in the front combustion chamber wall 35.

The combustion chamber 22 includes lugs 38, 39 and 40 molded in the lower or base end of the outer curved portion of the combustion chamber walls 31, 32 and 33, respectively. Locating embosses as at 41 in FIG. 4 are defined in the heat exchanger base 10. Clamps 46, 48 and 50 for clamping the lugs 38, 39 and 40, respectively, to the base 10 at locating embosses such as 41 are positioned over each lug 38, 39 and 40, and welded to the base 10 for securing and holding the combustion chamber 22.

As seen in the exploded view of FIG. 4, clamp 46, identical in shape and construction to clamps 48 and 50, has a lower run 52 connected to an upper run 54 by vertical connecting segment 56 with a protruding lip 58 adjacent upper run 54 and opposite the vertical connecting segment 56. The clamp 46 receives the lug 38 since the distance between the protruding lip 58 and vertical connecting segment 56, represented by upper run 54, is substantially the same as the thickness of the lug 38, designated by the letter X. The clamp 46 is further designed so that the thickness of the lower run 52, designated by the letter Y is equal to the depth of the locating emboss 41, designated by the letter Y. Also, the clamp 46 is designed so that the length of the vertical connecting segment 56, is designated by the letter Z, is equal to the height of the lug 38, designated by the letter Z.

With this construction of protruding lip 58 and vertical connecting segment 56 grip lug 38 to prevent rotational movement of the chamber 22 in respect to the base 10. Also, the upper run 54 and lower run 52, in cooperation with vertical connecting segment 56, grip lug 38 and the base 10 to prevent vertical movement of the chamber 22 in respect to the base 10. Clamps 48 and 50 hold lugs 39 and 40 respectively to the base 10 at locating embosses of the same type as shown at 41.

As shown in FIG. 2, the combustion chamber 22 is secured at three points. A locating boss 60 is positioned on peripheral surface 62 of the heating chamber base in a desired, fixed spatial relationship to the locating embosses 41, 42 and 44. Preferably, the locating boss 60 is positioned on that portion of the base 10 below the inlet port 28 of the combustion chamber 22 secured to the base 10. In the preferred embodiment, the boss 60 adjacent a line (not shown) which intersects the center of the base 10 and the nonadjacent locating emboss.

The locating boss 60 is receivable in a notch 64 positioned in the heat exchanger wall 12 beneath burner port 20, Thus, the locating boss 60 is representative of the location of the inlet port 28, and the notch 64 is representative of the location of the burner port 20. Therefore, reception by the notch 64 of the locating boss60 aligns the inlet port 28 with the burner port 20. With the inlet port 28 and the burner port 20 thus aligned, welding of the base 10 to the wall 12 holds the ports 20 and 28 in fixed alignment.

Iclaim:

I. In a heat exchanger having a base, an external wall extending from the base, a burner port in said external wall for receiving burner means and a combustion chamber within said external wall fixed in place on said heat exchanger base, said combustion chamber having an inlet port for receiving said burner means, the improvement comprising; integral lugs extending from said combustion chamber; said means attached to said base for fixing and holding said lugs in position to thereby maintain said combustion chamber in said fixed position.

2. The heat exchanger ofclaim 1 wherein said base includes a locating boss for cooperation with boss receiving means in said external wall to provide for a predetermined, desired orientation of said base in respect to said external wall.

3. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein said heat I exchanger base includes at least one-location emboss in said base for receiving said means for fixing and holding said lugs 

1. In a heat exchanger having a base, an external wall extending from the base, a burner port in said external wall for receiving burner means and a combustion chamber within said external wall fixed in place on said heat exchanger base, said combustion chamber having an inlet port for receiving said burner means, the improvement comprising; integral lugs extending from said combustion chamber; said means attached to said base for fixing and holding said lugs in position to thereby maintain said combustion chamber in said fixed position.
 2. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein said base includes a locating boss for cooperation with boss receiving means in said external wall to provide for a predetermined, desired orientation of said base in respect to said external wall.
 3. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein said heat exchanger base includes at least one location emboss in said base for receiving said means for fixing and holding said lugs in position such that each of said lugs may be held in a predetermined, desired orientation in relation to said base.
 4. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein said means for fixing and holding said lugs in position comprise clamps.
 5. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein said integral lugs extend outwardly from said combustion chamber. 